PM breaks silence on
scamsExonerates himself from any
wrongdoing in ISRO-Devas agreementNew Delhi, February 16
With the UPA government’s image tarnished by a series of scams and
scandals, an embattled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today broke his
long spell of silence in an effort to put the record straight on
allegations that are being flung at him and the ruling dispensation.

Accuses BJP of
blackmailNew Delhi, February 16
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today accused the BJP of “blackmail,
double talk and holding up reforms process by stalling proceedings in
Parliament. Manmohan Singh reiterated his commitment to economic
reforms, but at the same time said that he was unhappy with the way the
Opposition, the media and the judiciary were projecting the image of his
government.

Anil Ambani appears
before CBI over 2GNew Delhi, February 16
With the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) being accused of projecting
Swan Telecom as its front to benefit from the alleged largesse of former
Telecom Minister A Raja in the allotment of 2G spectrum, its chief Anil
Ambani today made a surprise appearance at the CBI headquarters here.
According to the company, the visit was to “clarify ongoing issues,
relating to telecom matters for the years 2001 to 2010”.Anil Ambani after meeting CBI officials.
A Tribune photograph

Navjot Singh Sidhu,
former Indian opener, begins an exclusive series for The Tribune on the
World CupThis World Cup is made for IndiaWelcome
to the home of cricket.
Welcome to the nation where one billion hearts throb to the beat of
‘India! India!’, a country which has become the Mecca of cricket,
the Marketing Manager of the sport; the heart, soul and body of the
game.

India, Japan sign free
trade agreementThis is the third comprehensive
economic partnership agreement signed by IndiaNew Delhi, February 16
India and Japan today signed a comprehensive economic partnership
agreement (CEPA) to open markets and reduce barriers on goods, services
and movement of people between the two countries. The pact was signed between Commerce and Industry
Minister Anand Sharma and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Seiji
Maehara in Tokyo.

Courts
or victims’ kin to decide Davis fate: GilaniLahore High Court to take up the
issue of diplomatic immunity to American todayIslamabad,
February 16
As a tense US-Pak standoff persisted over diplomatic immunity to an
American official arrested for killing two men in Lahore, Premier Yousuf
Raza Gilani today made it clear that the fate of the accused would be
decided by the courts. (Details on World
page)

Sperm shock for young,
macho PunjabiLudhiana, February 16
The big, macho Punjabi male is losing his vigour and that, too, fast.
The sperm count of men from Punjab has drastically gone down, thanks to
drug abuse, alcoholism and overuse of pesticides. Data compiled by a
World Health Organisation committee has brought these findings to the
fore. “The sperm count is going down and this is evident from
increasing cases of infertility in young males,” says Dr BS Shah, who
is a member of the WHO committee on semen analysis.